In Springtime
by PJ Blindclown
Summary: in the garden of the forge beautiful flowers are blooming. In the house behind the forge something between Lief and Jasmine blooms also.
1. The Blacksmith

In Springtime  
  
Disclaimer Deltora Quest doesn't belong to me.  
  
Chapter one The blacksmith  
  
It was very early in the morning but Doom still got up, he did not like this very much but he knew that today was going to be like every other day at the forge where he and his daughter Jasmine now lived. Busy, rushed and full of chatter as usual people would be lining up to buy the usual things such as horseshoes and he did not want to run out of goods. Doom quickly breakfasted on an apple and then got to work. As he beat the metal he thought of how nice it would be if Lief found a wife. If Lief finally found his true love there would be no more of this "Lief must be protected" from the people of Del Lief would be free. Lief always said that he had found his true love but he could not find the courage to ask her to marry him. But Doom never believed him, "Who ever this girl is I feel sorry for her she will be waiting for a very long time." Doom never doubted that Lief had invented a lot of people since he had become king. People he could speak of to make others leave him alone. Then suddenly Dooms thoughts were interrupted as that annoying bird that Jasmine owned flew in through her window with a note clutched in his beak. Briefly Doom wondered who this note was from. Surely it was unusual that someone would be writing letters at this hour of the morning. But what did he know of young people? For all he knew the bird had picked up a piece of paper and thought Jasmine might like to add it to the rubishmound in her bedroom. When Doom had finished helping the last few people before midday he went inside and found Jasmine sitting in an armchair and writing in a book that look to Doom like a diary. She had a very serious expression on her face and occasionally she would smile. "What are you doing Jasmine?" he asked casually. "Nothing that is any of your business. I am simply writing in my diary." Jasmine shot him an angry look and then got back to her diary. Doom wondered what she rote about; it would be amazing to find out what went on behind Jasmines wild, tangled hair. As he prepared the midday meal he thought of that diary again and then Lief saying that he had found his true love. But the idea of Lief and Jasmine was insane and he quickly put it out of his mind. He had better things to think about like sending Jasmine to the market place to buy some more flower. After the meal when Doom had got back to making five axes for an old man whose chickens were ready to kill and eat Lief appeared at the forge gates. "May I please see Jasmine?" he asked. Doom just nodded his head and kept beating the hot iron little knowing that this arrival was going to make this a very different day at the forge for everyone even himself. 


	2. The Blooming Begins

Thanks so much Raijeki it was your review that made me wanna write this chap.  
  
Chapter Two The Blooming Begins  
  
Lief did not know how to feel when Doom simply opened the door and let him in. The reason he had come to the forge was the fact that Jasmine had not responded to his letter and he was worried about her. "Jasmine why did you not respond to my letter?" Lief asked. "I have not been feeling too well with oh you know what I mean." Lief knew very well what she meant and decided that he was happy to be a boy. Lief and Jasmine went into the living room and began to talk. "Jasmine have you heard?" Lief asked her. "No I have not heard it if it comes from the palace" Jasmine answered. "Well!" Lief began. "Marilen and Ranesh have just had there first child. A baby Boy named Jason." "Well it was expected" Jasmine said laughing. For a wile they sat in silents listening to Doom beating the hot metal. As they sat Lief thought of his feelings toward Jasmine and thought of telling her. But what if she did not feel the same way about him it would be quite embarrassing if he got all romantic for nothing. "To tell her would be cruel. She does not want any of that and what she wants I can not give her." Lief knew that he was rite, he knew that a love relationship with Jasmine would not work in the slightest. "But I love her and she is my only love. How could I love or even learn to love anyone else? She is the one." But then Lief thought of his personality and realized that it would sound strange to Jasmine if he started talking like his father would. Then suddenly he noticed the look on Jasmines face and began to realize that she felt exactly the same way about him. "Jasmine can you feel it?" Lief asked his voice filled with an emotion so powerful that not even he knew what it was. "Lief hold my hand" Jasmine said filled with the same emotion.  
  
Short I know but I think I've gotta go and have dinner. By the way some of the words in that last paragraph and infact throughout the story are from a song see if you can guess which song it is. 


	3. First Kiss

Thanks to angel-kitten-teddy you're really helpin' me out with you're encouragement here. No Raijeki the song was not called hold my hand but the words hold my hand were in the song so were the words can you feel it. Thanks again to all the people who reviewed just keep guessing.

Warning if you don't like real romance then don't read this chap.

Chapter three

First Kiss

Jasmine had been feeling the same way about Lief for a week now and she realized what it meant but how could she tell him?

Surely he would laugh himself stupid if she suddenly broke down and told him that she loved him.

But she knew she was not made for him or was she? The question ran over and over in her mind and then suddenly she realized that she was holding Lief's hand.

She began to feel a strange feeling in her stomach as if many little insects were crawling around in there.

"Jasmine can I kiss you?" Lief asked. Jasmine just nodded with out thinking.

Lief got the answer that he had wanted but he was almost sure that Jasmine had been far away in the land of no idea. He could almost see her thinking of climbing a tree, conversing with the morning birds or maybe, just maybe she was thinking about him.

But still he leaned closer and kissed her.

The feeling Jasmine felt when Lief kissed her was one she had not experienced for a very long time. She had not been kissed since before her parents had been taken away from her all those years ago.

Lief had hugged her before, held her by the hand and even patted her on the head, but this was much different.

Jasmine finally felt that someone truly loved her.

It was then that Lief realized just what he meant to Jasmine, the way she had smiled at him when he had kissed her. It was not the usual embarrassed smile that a girl gave after her first kiss it was a smile that told Lief just how much Jasmine appreciated him.

It also told Lief something else, Doom was not treating Jasmine the way she should be treated.

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted as the very girl he was thinking of returned his kiss.

"do you feel the same way about me Lief?" Jasmine asked not really knowing what the answer would be.

"Yes Jasmine," Lief said. I love you!."

Again Lief kissed Jasmine and again she returned it. For Jasmine this was probably the best afternoon she had spent at the forge since she had moved there.

At once the two started passionately kissing and five minutes later they were in an embrace and at the same time both of them realized just how good they were together.

Longest Chap yet Ha? You Know this is really weird I've put Humor in that secondary Genre thingy and dis story isn't really funny at all.

Ah hell I'm so tired I gotta go.


	4. One Hour Passes

Thanks to all da peeps who reviewed there were lots o' you but I'd just like to say to Raijeki that I was off my bloody face when I wrote chap3 cozz it was 4 something in da mornin'.

Chapter four

One Hour passes

Sharne was running all around the palace looking for Lief, according to Barder he had ran out and not told anyone where he was going. Barder had also said that Lief had been mumbling something that sounded like "Oh no my letter!...not well?...know that ...should really have spent more time!!!!."

Sharne had absolutely no idea what this meant and at the present time it did not matter, all that mattered was finding Lief and making sure that he was alright.

She ran the words over again in her mind and suddenly she had an idea, "Oh No My Letter". Lief had obviously written to someone this morning but who? Lief was not one to write letters especially in the morning and all of his childhood friends had left him when he became king almost two years ago.

Sharne knew that it would not be wise to go into her son's bedroom and look for any clues as to where he might have gone, but still she opened the door and entered.

She looked around the untidy room and found nothing that would help her. Now she knew that Lief was up to something that he did not want her or anyone for that matter to know about.

Then the answer hit Sharne in the face as if it had been thrown at her, Lief was at the forge. But what would he be doing there? Sharne (as most mothers do) knew her son's likes and dislikes, and she knew what was at the very top of Lief's "things I really Hate doing" list, forging hot metal.

When Lief was younger it almost made him cry to be told that he had to go out and help his Father with the water or the bellows. Suddenly Sharne realized just where she was, and how embarrassing it would be for if Lief came home to find her standing in his bedroom doorway. So with out another look around she left closing the door behind her.

Meanwhile back at the forge Lief and Jasmine were still embracing. That was until they both heard the crashing of hammer on metal suddenly stop. They parted as Doom walked in the door.

Well guys we all know what Lief's doing at the forge and I personally am thanking the lord in heaven that Sharne doesn't.

Oh yeh and you guys and girls better not forget to keep guessing da name of dat song I'm really sorry that there's been none o' da lyrics in dis chap, but I haven't listened to it for a while.

But there'll be a lot o' it in da next chap.


	5. Secrets and Confessions

Thanks to all da peeps who reviewed

To angel-kitten-teddy,

I'm so lazy..I haven't started dat audio thingy yet.

On With It!!!

Chapter Five

Secrets and Confessions

The sun shone brightly through the open window, but Doom did not feel that all was going well.

He had the feeling that something was going terribly wrong, but what could it be? Jasmine was not loitering around and complaining about how she wanted freedom, that bird had finally decided to leave him alone and he had just got allot of money. As well as the promise of a fresh chicken.

What more could he want?

With out a word he returned to the forge and a new line of customers.

Jasmine had never experienced such a thing in her life, to her it felt strange to be unnaturally close to a boy of her own age, or any boy at all for that matter.

It almost frightened her to think of what might become of this, but how was any form of relationship with Lief possible? He was the king of Deltora and she was not the type of girl he was expected to marry.

But she was not even sure that she loved Lief enough to share her life with him. And did she even love him at all? Jasmine decided that she would enjoy it while it lasted.

Lief knew that the question he was about to ask Jasmine might hurt her, but what choice did he have?

If he did not ask her he would never know.

"Jasmine how does your father treat you?" Lief did not quite know what the answer would be but when the answer came out of Jasmine's mouth it did not surprise him.

Jasmine was shocked when Lief asked her how her father treated her. She had never been asked such a personal question in her life. But still she answered it.

"Not very well. I don't think I grew up the way he wanted me to.

I think he wanted me to grow up like..." she stopped suddenly and her face went red.

"Like what?" asked Lief.

"Like the painted noble girl you are going to marry one day!."

Lief's mouth opened like a fish about to eat a large meal.

"What!!!!!!!!!!!?"

He spluttered. "Marry a painted noble girl?

Jasmine how can you think that after what I just told you?"

Lief never knew why that offended him so much, but he knew that he would have to learn to control himself and his anger when ever someone said something like that. He was shocked that Jasmine his true love would ever think of him as a king.

All he wanted was for her to think of him as Lief the boy who had accompanied her on their quests.

Or did he want more than that?

"I am sorry Lief, I did not mean it like that ," Jasmine said softly.

"Then how did you mean it?" Lief asked.

"I meant,...well he is always saying that I am not good enough for him. If he is not telling me that I do a bad job of everything he is making me do all the housework, and if I don't he will not give me any food."

Jasmine knew that telling Lief the truth might get her father into trouble, so she told him to "keep it a secret."

"I will Jasmine, I promise," Lief Murmured. "For some reason I am afraid of such a relationship between us. It is what I want and what I dream of, but something keeps telling me No!."

Jasmine knew and understood what Lief was saying, but it hurt her to hear it aloud.

"Lief you can not let our differences come between us, All because you are The king it doesn't mean that you don't deserve to live!." Jasmine was sorry that she said this when she saw the look on Lief's face.

"Do you honestly think I wanted it this way!?" Lief cried.

"What do you mean?" Jasmine asked. She had never felt more confused in her life.

"I never wanted to be king," Lief Said.

"What!?" Jasmine exclaimed.

"Ever since I was a child I dreamt about being the one who ridded Deltora of the Shadow Lord, But In my heart I knew I could never do it. Allot of people dream of being at the top, But once they get there they regret it."

Jasmine now felt sad for her Greatest friend and true love, because she now knew the truth. Outside on his face he was always smiling, but inside in his heart he was always suffering.

"Jasmine we are young," Lief said. "But, we can have it all."

"There is power in our friendship, and It's our dream," Jasmine said.

Lief was sure that in all the time he had known her he had never heard her speak more strongly.


	6. In The Garden

To all my reviewers thanks.

To angel-kitten-teddy Doom's only gonna get worse.

To bell of the known galaxy our favorite king won't be happy for long.

Chapter Five

In the Garden

It was almost dark as Lief left the forge where he had given and received his first kiss. He ran up the hill with a spring in his step, never had he felt happier in his life. He was in love. But what would he tell his mother? Surely she would be questioning him about where he was and what he was doing there. He dreaded to think what she would say if he told her that he was at the forge kissing Jasmine.

Jasmine was writing the events of today down in her diary, when suddenly a voice called, "Did you show that to Lief?"

Jasmine turned around and saw her father looking at her. "No I did not!," she shouted back, "And I'm not going to show it to you either!."

Doom left her in piece.

Sharne sat in the kitchen waiting, hoping that Lief would return soon. She had now lost all hope of finding him at the forge, if he had gone there he would have been back home hours ago.

Then suddenly the door flew open and there he was.  
But he did not look as he did normally, he was shifting around as though he had something in his pants that was bothering him, he was wearing a huge grin on his face and his eyes were wild and excited.

"Well?" Sharne asked him. "Where have you been for the last few hours? And what have you been doing there?"

She waited and then he spoke.

"Oh Mother! You will not believe this!!!!," Lief cried.

"I was in the most beautiful garden that anyone could imagine, there were beautiful flowers everywhere! The branches of the tall trees were swaying like you would not believe. Oh it was beautiful!"

Sharne thought of this and wondered if Lief was ill. She had never seen him in this dreamlike state, not even when Endon had told him that he was going to travel all over Deltora and eventually rid it of the shadow lord.

But still he continued raving as if he just could not stop.

"And the birds! Their coulours were so beautiful! And the songs they sang were amazing. It was so beautiful I could not leave it!"

Sharne thought of telling Lief that he had said the word 'beautiful' five times in five minutes, but she decided that Lief was in some sort of trance, and correcting his mistakes was not going to help him.

Suddenly Lief's eyes snapped back into focus and he looked terrified.

"Mother what did I just tell you?" he asked franticly.

"You were raving on and on about a beautiful garden," Sharne answered feeling confused.

Lief ran up to his bedchamber and lay down on his bed thanking the heavens that he had lied to his mother.

But as he drifted into sleep he saw visions of him and Jasmine walking in that beautiful garden and wondered if it could ever be true.

O thank god I'm fainaly gonna have this published. It's gonna be out of my hair!!!!!. Thanks again to all the people who reviewed, the talk of doom in the last chapter was partly about my own father.


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